Kivani and Tye

For those who didn't know Tye, he has the best cross-eyed goofiness.  There's a prime example of it in this video Si made of our prospecting trip a few years ago (I've cut it short from the original 30 minutes but not yet had time to edit it properly to remove some boring parts).  Anyways, check out around 1:30.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBPgvsNFLyg

I'm smiling at our little girl right now and she is actually doing the same rediculous faces.  One eye is circling while the other wobbles from side to side, random expressions flying across her face.  Even the grunts!  Sure, we have a newborn and they do this stuff.  But I'm holding out that we may just have ourselves a goofball performer like her uncle!

This makes me happy.

Thank you to everyone who has expressed their condolences.  Its still sinking in and coming in waves.  Its so hard to imagine that oaf of a body gone cold.  I've learned from Matt's death that its in the weeks and months afterwards when you send him emails or dial his number that it really sinks in.  But the idea of Riles and Vons not knowing either Matt or Tye is brutal.

My parents are coming in on Tuesday, and we'll have a memorial here on Friday then in SAfrica at the end of April.

The first days were horrible as we knew nothing of his death other than he was found dead in his room in the morning in a resort in Goa.  We didn't know if we'd be heading to India to track down his killer or if he'd consumed something that killed him, or what??.  My parents got the autopsy report yesterday and found that he'd had a heart abnormality, where the left side of his heart was extremely large.  Somehow it seems appropriate that he died of a heart that was too big.

Thank again for your thoughts.

Just a few more pics below.

Here's the roving eye tye that kivs is imitating so well
In the first pic he was just back from his last trip to India where he got in a motorcycle accident just before returning.  Another car on the scene took him to the hospital, and in true Tye style, it was a gynecological hospital.  He was thrilled!  Captive female audience!  He liked the odds. Also in classic Tye style, he discovered that if he blocked his nose and blew, then his eye would puff up like a golf ball.  Hilarious to see.  Didn't capture that one on film, but at least I got the crosseye below.

 

In South Africa in November.Dec last year

 Always up for a dare ... eating worms.

I remember this day so clearly.

 Up table mountain.

 Asking for trouble... and huge AIR!!

Generations

 Adorable.  Dad calls Tye his "expressive" son.

Hows this for safety. Tye at least is in a carseat, if on a box.  I'm in a fold up highchair.  Chris, I don't think you're even wearing a seatbelt.

With a first day of school outfit like this its a wonder he had any friends.
(mine was worse.  seriously)

He loved to prospect and was ever the optimist with his lotto and 'silver just around the bend'.  Below at Gemboree.

 Such a strong, soft guy.  Tiny, you will be hugely missed.

In memory of my brother Tye

I am devastated to say that my brother "Tiny" Tye died while traveling in India last week; he's just quit his job at the end of Feb and was excited to start his travels.    He was a great adventurer and the funniest person I know.  Simon and Tiny were two peas in a pod and Riles adored his uncle.  I will miss my "little" brother.

I was just looking at photos of him and Riley excitedly yelled out "tye tye!".  It guts me that Kivani will never know her funny uncle and that our memories with Riley will stop in time. 

My dad wrote up a post last night, I've copied it below.

*****

We are sorry to have to inform you that our dear son Tye has died last week in India. We have just been informed and don’t have any details yet. 

We will all miss his cheery craziness, his energy, his fun attitude, wild golf shots and love of life. His exuberance at finding gold in the bottom of his pan, or landing a big fish in the Turks was a treat to be near. Tye will be remembered by many dealers whom he serviced, representing our company, in South Africa. He really tried to help and made a difference to many lives. A charmer, a cajoler, a true expressive, who just wanted to have fun. Put him on a motorcycle and he does the biggest jump on the dunes, definitely the biggest wrecks!! Similarily, on the Abbotsford ranch, whoopdies where he got a little too much air on one jump and nose planted the car . . got some “character” marks from that !!
Character is a word that would often be used around him. 

He loved his parrot.  One day Tye took him shopping for veggies at the local supermarket, left him “sampling” the wares in the produce section and got the rest of his shopping list, was ½ way home before remembering his hitch hiker,. . . so back to Pick+Pay he goes . Well, it seems Bird was entertaining a good sized crowd giving his opinion of the various fruits he had sampled and distributing the remains around the displays. From painting a charging elephant with a paint ball gum, to decorating lazy donkeys on the Botswana roads, Tye was a character that did not stop.
Tye worked in our old South African company till late Feb., when he retired to do some more traveling in India. He enjoyed the easy going lifestyle there, and loved his reading. He once said that of all the gifts his parents had given to him, it was his love of books !!

Right now

From my phone.
She'll hate this photo when she's older.  I love it, of course.

Four weeks, seriously?

Wow.  Time has flown.  I can't believe our little girl is four weeks old today.
Heck, I still can't believe we have a girl.  But for the occasional pink outfit, she doesn't act like one yet, so its easy to forget.  How things will be different a few years from now!

Sleeping on me right now

Mom, I fell over

 How embarassing

 Sleep. Eat. Poop.  Love newborns. 

Alert.  Rolls

Our gorgeous is now over 10 lbs!  I don't have a photo, but she used to fit this sink beautifully and she's already outgrowing it!

 nanny

 Riles is such a proud big brother

 Stress

 I never take off the sling!  This girl does not like being put down

Not to be outdone ... Riles has grown up so much in the last few months.  So frequently I don't even know who this big boy is!  The tantrum twos hit suddenly two weeks ago, and they are ... interesting ... but fortunately the whining/crying stops as suddenly as it starts.  Still our lovely boy.

Walk a mile in those shoes, kid.

 LOVES trucks.  Thrilled to see this firetruck outfit at childrens place.

 blueberry smoothie smile

 Huge helper in the garden.  Why use the kids spade (lying beside him) when the 'biggun!' is so much more exciting.  Finally a dry afternoon.  Why did we have another baby in the winter?  Mat leave is supposed to be sunny!

We are a happy family.

Finally, just a note.  I am not a good player.  I am good at structure, and organizing playdates, and can do puzzles with the best of them.  But free play ... I run out of ideas fast.  Si, on the other hand, rocks this.  Everything is a game.  He can enthrall Riles for hours with just a ball or a branch.  Case in point.  When I walk, I'm going somewhere and getting exercise. I have to actively stop myself from walking 20 feet in front of Riles and encouraging him to 'run run run!' or 'lets go faster!'.  Invariably this is what it turns into.  Si parks about 5 minutes walk (grown up) from playschool.  I would walk the first section with Riles, then pick him up and hoof it to the car... dinner to make, get the dog out before its dark etc.

Contrast: It takes Si and Riles at least 20 minutes to get to the car.  They have stations ... some broken branches are digger controls, there's a mud hill 'slide' and they detour to sing in a stairwell. Every day there's something new.   Yay for differences. Even/especially when they drive me crazy as dinner's getting cold.

Kivani - Two weeks!

How has it already been two weeks!?
Our little girl is fast asleep on my chest (she still doesn't like to be put down, and I'm a sucker).  She's been an absolute treat.  Feeding is going well and she's gaining weight (yay!  so much appreciated after Riley's 16 weeks of pumping insanity).  Sleep is ... well honestly I don't know.  I'm so out of it at night I have no clue how many times she's feeding and Si says I called her Megan and also said I had Riles "under control" last night when she was crying.  I have a big presentation at school on Tuesday so am working when I should be napping during the day.  I promise, Kivs, we're going to take naps from Wednesday on and I won't be so clueless at night.

Si's parents are being absolutely amazing with their help with Riles and Kivani.  Thank you so much to the Graces.

Some pictures from the last week:

 

 Beth, our midwife

 Our neighbour, Leila.  Riles is infatuated. 

 ... as are we!

 Playdate last weekend.  Gracie loved Kivani.

 Five kids in one picture ... impossible!

We just love this little girl.

I still can't believe we have a girl!